Chapter 3: The Essence of Mohist Debate
It is no wonder that hundreds of schools of thought were invited to watch the ceremony. The victory or defeat this time determined Xunzi's status in Confucianism.
If Xunzi won, the Confucians would have to admit that they were corrupt Confucians and that their previous benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness were all fantasies; and if the Confucians won, Xunzi would probably be expelled from the Confucian community, resign from his position as the chief academic officer of the Jixia Academy and leave the State of Qi.
"Sir, do you think that human nature is good or evil?" Han Fei looked at the Prime Minister, put away his dissolute nature, bowed respectfully and asked.
A debate is not just a debate. There will be a halftime break, which means it will not end in one day. It will last at least three days. And then, no one knows how many people will die during these three nights.
Therefore, both sides were mobilizing people and trying to get the support of other schools of thought. The Mohist school had always been at odds with the Confucian school, so Han Fei and Li Si invited Master Xiang. After all, when it came to fighting ability, the Mohist school was the better one.
There were many sages and predecessors in the Jixia Academy, including Taoism, Confucianism, Nominalism, Legalism, Diplomacy, Military Science, Agriculture, Yin and Yang, Lightness and Heaviness, etc., but there was no Mohist school. Why was that?
Han Fei once asked his teacher, and Xunzi's answer was that they might not win in an argument, but they would certainly not win in a fight, so the hundreds of schools of thought in the Jixia Academy united together and banned the great masters and commanders of the Mohist school from participating, so naturally there were no famous people.
"We are the only two of us left in the Mohist School. I'm afraid we can't help you!" Master Xiang was also very clear about the purpose of Xunzi sending them here. He shook his head. How could they help when they couldn't even protect themselves?
After hearing what Master Xiang said , Han Fei and Li Si were silent. The other party had dragged the Nong family into trouble this time, and Qi was the Nong family's territory with countless masters, so they had no choice but to ask the Mohist school for help. Only the Mohist school could suppress the Nong family.
"You might as well go look for Taoism and the Yin-Yang School!" Mr. Xiang thought about it and felt that the leader of the Taoist sect, He Guanzi, seemed to be in Qi and Chu, and Nan Zi of the Yin-Yang School might be there too.
"We've looked for it!" Han Fei and Li Si were somewhat helpless. None of the Hundred Schools of Thought wanted to see another giant emerge from Confucianism, so almost all of them stood against them. Except for the pragmatic schools of thought such as the Legalists and the Military Strategists, all the others seemed to stand against them.
"Then tell Xun Kuang to pack up his belongings and prepare to run away!" Master Xiang shook his head. Unless the current Mohist master brings his God-killing disciples, if one of Xun Kuang's lineage goes up, there will be one less the next day. No one can protect those disciples when they are surrounded by masters.
"Han Fei and Li Si, goodbye!" Han Fei and Li Si left the Mohist school gate in a desolate manner. They knew that there was no one left in the Mohist school, but they still came here with a glimmer of hope. However, when they saw that there were only two people left in the Mohist school, they knew that this was a bit too much to ask.
"I can't believe that the Mo Bian lineage, which was once so glorious, is now so desolate!" After leaving the Mohist school, Han Fei and Li Si couldn't help but sigh.
"Why don't you leave and become your young master?" Mr. Xiang asked unhappily while looking at Jin Yao who was standing in the corner.
"I feel that I must repay the master's kindness in raising me. The teacher has no children, so it is only right for me to serve him!" Jin Yao walked to Master Xiang in a sullen manner, massaging him and pounding his shoulders to please him.
Master Xiang frowned, "You know everything?"
"Yeah!" Jin Yao paused and nodded.
"Not sad?"
Jin Yao shook his head.
"Not upset?"
Jin Yao still shook his head.
"I really don't know whether to say that you are cold-blooded or cunning!" Mr. Xiang sighed. He didn't show any emotional change even when facing the hatred of destroying his family and exterminating his clan. He was either cold-hearted or very forbearing.
"Which type does the teacher want me to be?" Jin Yao asked with a shy face.
Master Xiang looked up at Jin Yao, who was trying to please him like a dog. He found that he couldn't understand this disciple anymore, so he laughed and scolded, "You are neither of the two. You are more like a dog!"
"Why are you swearing!" Jin Yao felt aggrieved. He had never enjoyed father's love and family care. There was really no emotion. What happened to Jin Bi and the Jin clan should have been his accident, but to himself , it was just a story. He was asked to pretend to be sad, but he really couldn't do it.
"Forget it. I don't care about you anymore. You are the only one left in the Mo Bian lineage. Come with me!" Master Xiang stood up. Jin Yao hurried to help him and followed Master Xiang towards the back mountain.
"What you have learned before are the outer sect classics and swordsmanship of Mohism. Except for the mental method which is authentic, everything else is not the core!" Master Xiang said as they walked.
"Ah?" Jin Yao was stunned. Six years? Do you know how I got through these six years? All I learned was just the basics!
"The Mohist school has two core elements: mechanisms and martial arts. To be frank, all martial arts in the world originated from the Mohist school. You have only learned a sword technique called Mozi swordsmanship. You will be lucky if you don't get beaten to death when you go out. Moreover, the skills taught to you are only the first three levels that have been deleted." Master Xiang said lightly, and then opened the floor in front of the statue of Mozi in the main hall of the Mobian lineage.
A tunnel extending downwards appeared in front of the two people.
"There is such a place at the mountain gate!" He has lived here for six years, but he really didn't know that there was such a secret passage at the mountain gate.
"The Mohist mechanism is like wood and stone walking on water. You only know the basics of mechanism, and you still want to find it?" Xiang Fuzi sneered, and then reminded, "Follow the footsteps of the master, if you take a wrong step, humph!"
"What will happen if we take a wrong step?" Jin Yao asked as he looked at the suddenly lit corridor and the black and white patterned tiles on the ground.
" It's . Just be more careful in your next life!" Mr. Xiang smiled and walked into the corridor first.
Jin Yao was really scared, and followed Master Xiang carefully, not daring to take a wrong step or use any force, and he walked lightly and watched Master Xiang's steps.
Soon, the corridor came to an end, and a beam of light descended from the sky, illuminating the entire space. It turned out to be a square. The light was also the light drawn in by the holes, which was refracted by mirrors and gathered, eventually illuminating the entire square. However, from the outside, no one would have thought that there was such a space underground.
"When the Mo Bian lineage declined, all kinds of martial arts, mechanical techniques, and scriptures were sent back to the Mohist headquarters and nothing was left . What is here are just things that were collected later and could not be moved away!" Master Xiang said as he looked at Jin Yao, who was still in fear after walking through the corridor.
Jin Yao hurriedly jumped to the side of Master Xiang and looked around the entire underground space. The square was very large and there were many dark rooms, but now they were all empty. Obviously, there must have been a lot of things placed in them before.
"That is one of the most outstanding masterpieces of Mohist mechanical engineering. It is also the first generation White Tiger, No. 0. The original design of the White Tiger was that it could fly. Unfortunately, it failed later. The Mo Bian faction evacuated and took away the drawings of the White Tiger, leaving only one White Tiger for successive generations of Xiangfu to study!" Xiangfu introduced, pointing to a dark room on the right.
